Family Of Three Arraigned In Court Over Alleged Murder Of 21-Year-Old Offa Health Tech Graduate

Ilorin, Kwara State- A family of three, consisting of a father, mother, and their son, along with another suspect, were arraigned on Tuesday at the Kwara State Chief Magistrate Court in Ilorin.

The suspects faces charges related to the alleged murder of Awesu Mojisola, a 21-year-old graduate of the Kwara State College of Health Technology.

It was reported that the incident reportedly took place on August 10, 2024, inside a room at Whitefield Hotel, Ilorin.

Adebayo Happiness, the primary suspect, is accused of deceiving Mojisola into attending a non-existent post-graduation party, where she was allegedly murdered in a hotel room.

Alongside Happiness, his parents, Adebayo Adeniyi (51) and Bukola Adeniyi (49), and another suspect, 24-year-old Timileyin Kolawole, face charges.

The four suspects are charged with criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, theft, false personation, and evidence tampering under various sections of the Penal Code Law.

They also face charges of computer-related fraud under the Cybercrime Prevention and Prohibition Law of 2015.

ASP Isaac Yakub, who is leading the prosecution, informed the court that on August 14, 2024, Blessing Ogungbenro reported to the Offa Police Station that her roommate, Awesu Mojisola, a graduating student from Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa, had been missing since August 9, 2024.

Ogungbenro revealed that Mojisola had received an invitation from Kolawole Timileyin to attend a party hosted by Adebayo Joshua Happiness, a final-year student at Summit University, Offa, Kwara State, at the Whitefield Hotel, Ilorin, for a fee of N15,000.

“Awesu Mojisola later accepted the offer and left Offa to meet up with Adebayo Joshua Happiness at Ilorin lately and while Awesu Mojisola was with Adebayo Joshua Happiness, she complained of being uncomfortable with Adebayo Joshua Happiness in the hotel room that she was lodged because Adebayo Joshua Happiness was smoking hemp.

“Thereafter, Awesu Mojisola’s phone suddenly became unreachable and her whereabouts became unknown adding that immediate police action led to the arrest of Adebayo Joshua Hoppiness who was fingered in the sudden disappearance of Awesu Mojisola.”

According to him, “During an investigation, it was revealed that Adebayo Joshua Happiness had deliberately lured Awesu Mojisola from Offa to Ilorin on the pretence of inviting her for a joint sign-out party of Summit and Al-Hikma Universities purported to be holding at Whitefield Hotel but it was fake.

“In the early hours of 10/08/2024, Adebayo Joshua Happiness killed and abandoned the lifeless body of Awesu Mojisola in the hotel room, locked the room and ran away with Mojisola Awesu’s iPhone 11 pro and her sum of N15,600 to Offa.

During a discreet investigation, Happiness reportedly admitted to luring Mojisola from Offa to Ilorin under the guise of attending a sign-out party at the Whitefield Hotel. Allegedly, once at the hotel, he murdered her, left her body in the room, locked it, and fled with her money and iPhone back to Offa.

The prosecution also revealed that Happiness’ mother, Adeniyi Bukola, assisted in removing the victim’s SIM card and hiding it in a fence block away from their home in the Ogunse area of Offa. Additionally, Happiness’ father helped conceal the iPhone in a family car parked on their property.

The court did not take the suspects’ pleas.

Defense counsel Mr. A. Iwalaye requested bail for the suspects, promising they would not abscond and would attend all court proceedings, and offered to provide reliable sureties.

The prosecutor opposed the bail request, citing the gravity of the case involving a criminal act resulting in death.

Chief Magistrate Mr. Wahab Saka ordered the suspects to be held at the Federal Correctional Centre in Oke Kura, Ilorin.

The case was adjourned to September 12, 2024, for further hearing.